Welcome to Gaia! ::

It wasn't often that Ylaine hung around after school. In fact, it wasn't something she had ever done before. There was, apparently, a first time for everything.

Even now, she didn't really want to hang around the school gates. Normally she had better things to do with her time. Shopping, for one. Rearranging her closet. Trying to make shapes out of clouds. Counting blades of grass. Waiting for the universe to end. There were roughly eighty million, billion, gajillion things Ylaine would rather do than spend even a second longer than necessary at school. Unfortunately, in order for Ylaine to find the person she was looking for, she was simply going to have to endure it.

Ylaine stood by the main school gates with her arms crossed, delicate lace gloves gracing her fingertips. They perfectly matched her frilly pink and white lace dress, her lacy white stockings, and the white lace umbrella hanging from her arm. The pink leather purse, not so much, but that was more a thing of color-coordinated necessity than anything else, and it did at least match her pink leather shoes. She looked bored and a bit angry as she ignored the colorful procession of students filing past her towards their homes. Her target had to come this way eventually. She just hoped it would be sooner rather than later because Ylaine hated simply everything about school. The teachers, the rules, the student populace, the supposed "learning" that was just endless, tedious repetition of things she already knew, the laughing, the playing, the children, the work.

Just when she was about to give up and spend the rest of the day hating herself for wasting time loitering at school, she spotted her target. Ylaine afforded herself the tiniest little smirk of accomplishment and immediately launched into a march across the schoolyard to intercept, purse in one hand and umbrella clenched in the other.

Ylaine didn't respond to that; of course she looked pretty, she was Ylaine. That was just stating the obvious. Admittedly, stating the obvious was part of the reason Ylaine liked Magdelen, but there was no time for it at the moment. Slipping the handles of her purse over her wrist, Ylaine hooked Magdelen's arm in her own tightly and informed the other girl, "You're coming with me." Apparently Ylaine had never heard of the concept of an invitation because she wasn't leaving Magdelen much choice in the matter.

For a moment, Ylaine let a shred of regret slip into her mind, as in I regret that I sometimes bother to try and interact with people. It was quickly gone. There was, after all, only so much contempt you could have for somebody you were essentially kidnapping. "We are going to my home," Ylaine informed Magdelen, and indeed, they were turning down a road somewhat familiar to Magdelen, as she had been this way once before.

Ylaine set a rather brisk pace for the two of them. It wasn't so much a lovely stroll between two acquaintances as it was Ylaine dragging Magdelen down the road, threatening to pull the other girl's arm off with each step, hurrying them towards their destination for a reason which wasn't at all clear.

With the brisk pacing they arrived at the hotel's entrance in what was probably record speedwalking time. Ylaine glanced both ways as if she was worried someone would spot them and wordlessly pulled Magdelen inside. Somehow, her grip on Magdelen's arm tightened even further. It seemed Ylaine was a bit nervous and apprehensive.

The hotel lobby was empty. As quickly as Ylaine's grip had tightened it relaxed. No sign of anyone who might annoy her or get in her way this afternoon. In other words, no sign of Sam, Harry, Harry's BFF Jack, Terry, James, or (gods forbid) Reginald. Ylaine might have stood there listing every person she was glad to have avoided, but if she did that, someone would definitely show up, so she focused on guiding Magdelen across the lobby and up the stairs to the second floor.

It was almost eerily quiet in the hotel. No maid carts rattling or bellboys running room service, no tourists wandering about or televisions blaring behind closed doors. Just miles and miles of quiet corridors and empty rooms. The thick carpeting muffled the sound of their feet as they came to Ylaine's door. Ylaine did not stop and instead proceeded to the following door: her closet. Ylaine had to release Magdelen's arm to grope around in her purse for her keys, which meant for the first time in ten minutes Magdelen could, if she so wanted to, escape.

Ylaine found her keys amidst the makeup compacts and tubes of sparkly lip gloss in her purse and unlocked the door at last. Magdelen did not have to be told to follow Ylaine in. The lights came on just as the door was closing.

It was, all things considered, pretty amazing. What had once been an entire hotel room had been reimagined as a giant walk-in closet. Hanging clothes lined the walls, meticulously arranged by style and color. Drawers underneath promised to contain even more fashionable treasures, everything from scarves and belts to stockings and underwear. Nearest the door were hooks for hanging purses, most of them in use. There was a three-way mirror and and entire section devoted to rows of shoes. The whole space was lit like a professional gallery.

There were also, directly ahead, five wooden head forms, four of them occupied by wigs of various colors. There was the short pink one, and the long pink one, and a black one and a brown one. The fifth head sat empty and was, presumably, for the long blonde wig Ylaine was currently wearing.

"Probably not," Ylaine agreed, shrugging as she hung up her purse and umbrella. She proceeded to the nearest clothes rack, which was totally stuffed with clothes. It was a veritable rainbow of soft pastels, black, greys, white, and pink. Lots and lots of pink. Ylaine ran her fingers across hanging fabrics. Her hand paused on one. Reaching up, she unhooked it from the rod and pulled it out.

Ylaine turned to Magdelen, holding up the dress. It was white with pastel green panels down the sides, a broad lacy white cloth hem, and matching lacy white cloth collar. Ylaine pursed her lips in appraisel. "Try this on," she instructed Magdelen, handing the dress to Magdelen and returning her attention to the clothing rack to pick out some more garments. "You can change in the bathroom there." She indicated the door with a flick of her wrist.